Contact: John Hartgen
             703-894-5935
             [email protected]

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, CONSUMER FILING TRENDS, PROFESSIONAL FEES IN CHAPTER 11 AND PONZI SCHEMES AMONG THE TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED AT ABI’S 22nd ANNUAL WINTER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

September 17, 2010, Alexandria, Va. — Continued distress in the commercial real estate market, class actions that might arise out of the Gulf Coast oil crisis, ponzi schemes and consumer filing trends are all topics that will be addressed at the American Bankruptcy Institute’s (ABI) 22nd Annual Winter Leadership Conference taking place Dec. 9-11 at the Camelback Inn Spa and Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. In addition to 11 panel sessions, the Winter Leadership Conference features 13 ABI Committee Educational Sessions as attendees have the opportunity to earn 11.25 hours of CLE credit and 2.75 hours of ethics.

The conference will feature a keynote by David C. Vladeck, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection of the Federal Trade Commission. At the FTC, Vladeck heads the agency’s initiatives on behalf of consumers, including those related to mortgage fraud, credit cards practices, debt relief providers, and credit repair, as well as privacy matters as they impact the Bankruptcy Code.

Also featured at the conference will be a plenary session titled “Professional Fees in Mega- Chapter 11 Cases: Reasonable or Out of Control?” Experts examining the issue will include Clifford J. White III, Director of the Executive Office of U.S. Trustees (Washington, D.C.), Brady C. Williamson of Godfrey & Kahn SC (Madison, Wis.), Kenneth R. Feinberg, the Special Master for Executive Compensation (Washington, D.C.) and Prof. Stephen J. Lubben of Seton Hall Law School (Newark, N.J.), who authored ABI’s landmark study on professional fees. The plenary session will be moderated by ABI Past-President Robert J. Keach of Bernstein Shur (Portland, Maine).

Some of the featured sessions at the Winter Leadership Conference include:

•    ABI’s Great Debates
•    Commercial Real Estate: The Next Tsunami Approaches
•    Ponzi Scheme Cases: A New Look At Potential Sources of Recovery
•    Mass Torts/Class Actions and Other Issues That May Arise From the Gulf Oil Crisis
•    Consumer Bankruptcy Cases Year in Review: A Look at Supreme Court and Appellate Decisions
•    Hot Topics: Views From Bench

Entertainment at the conference will include a performance by comedian Frank Caliendo and ABI’s rock band, the Indubitable Equivalents.

To review a comprehensive schedule of programming and speakers, please click on the following link.
http://www.abiworld.org/WLC10/schedule.html

For full information on ABI’s 22nd Winter Leadership Conference, including sponsors, optional events and rates can be found at http://www.abiworld.org/WLC10.    

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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes more than 12,600 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abiworld.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html.